Brightspace Institute brings instructors together to design more engaging learning experiences
Thirty-one instructors representing more than 10 colleges and units across the University of Arizona gathered in June for UCATT’s 2026 Brightspace Institute (BSI), a weeklong professional development experience focused on designing engaging, accessible, and student-centered learning experiences in Brightspace.
Participants came from across campus, including Social and Behavioral Sciences, Humanities, Science, Medicine, Pharmacy, Nursing, Agriculture, Life and Environmental Sciences, Education, the W.A. Franke Honors College, Arizona Online, and the Center for Career Readiness. Throughout the week, instructors explored new approaches to course design, shared ideas with colleagues from different disciplines, and developed practical strategies they could immediately implement in their courses.
“One of the most valuable aspects of the Brightspace Institute is bringing instructors together across disciplines,” said Lady Amor Moran, director of instructional technologies at UCATT. “Participants learn new tools and strategies, but they also learn from each other, building connections and sharing ideas that strengthen teaching and learning across the university.”
Exploring tools, strategies, and possibilities
The five-day institute featured hands-on workshops led by facilitators from across UCATT. Participants explored topics including Universal Design for Learning (UDL), accessibility, course design, instructor presence, student engagement, and instructional technologies while building practical skills in Brightspace. Activities ranged from applying UDL principles and importing Course Maker templates to creating Video Notes, Intelligent Agents, and Awards that support communication, engagement, and student success.
From exploring interactive ThingLink experiences to facilitating peer review with FeedbackFruits, increasing participation through Top Hat, and creating engaging content with H5P, attendees spent the week discovering new ways to connect students with course material and one another.
A tour of UCATT's Multimedia facilities provided a behind-the-scenes look at resources available to instructors and students, including the One Button Studio, sound recording studio, field production services, the Integrated Learning Center studio, and the Learning Glass.
A Showcase of ideas and innovation
The institute concluded with a Showcase Breakfast sponsored by Top Hat, where participants shared their Artifacts of Achievement and reflected on their learning experiences. As the institute's primary assessment, the project challenged participants to select a topic, tool, or instructional approach introduced during the week and apply it within a Brightspace course site.
Rising to the occasion, instructors created interactive ThingLink experiences to help students explore complex concepts, visualize field sites, and navigate course content; redesigned course structures to reduce cognitive load and improve accessibility; and developed Intelligent Agents to automate communication and strengthen instructor presence. Others explored new ways to increase engagement through Top Hat and other interactive learning tools.
Deborah Holt, a mathematics instructor, turned to ThingLink after recognizing that "students struggle with graphs" and often miss the underlying concepts. Her project transformed mathematical graphs into interactive learning experiences designed to help students visualize and explore key concepts.
From the College of Nursing, Assistant Clinical Professor Lateefah Collingwood focused on increasing participation in a large enrollment course. "We get
the talkers who will raise their hands, and they will talk to us, but we also get the quiet people who won't say a word," she explained. Using Top Hat, Lewis developed interactive activities that encourage all students to contribute, helping instructors better understand student thinking and identify gaps in learning.
Across many projects, a common theme emerged: creating more accessible and inclusive learning experiences. Participants improved the accessibility of course materials, redesigned rubrics to support multiple forms of student expression, and incorporated Universal Design for Learning principles to provide greater flexibility in how students engage with and demonstrate their learning.
The showcase highlighted how instructors were already envisioning new possibilities for their courses. Participants exchanged feedback, discussed future plans for their projects, and explored ways to continue building on what they had learned throughout the week.
“I feel like the Brightspace Institute was not only a place where we learned technology and how to improve our courses,” said Chi Nguyen, assistant professor for educational policy studies and practice, “but also created a community for me to connect with other instructors, people I would never have had the opportunity to communicate with normally.”
In her closing remarks, Moran thanked participants for investing their time in the institute.
"I'm grateful for all of you who chose to submit that application, raise your hand, and learn the next steps of what Brightspace has to offer and how it could help and elevate that teaching and learning practice specific to your discipline."
By the end of the week, participants left with more than new Brightspace skills. They gained a network of colleagues, practical tools to enhance teaching and learning, and concrete plans to create more engaging, accessible, and meaningful learning experiences for students across the University of Arizona.
Participants and facilitators pose for a group photo at the conclusion of the 2026 Brightspace Summer Institute.
